ISA Expo 2003: A view from the top at Honeywell Industry Solutions

Houston, TX—Calmer, more predictable times are ahead for Honeywell, according to Jack D. Bolick, president of the Industry Solutions business for Honeywell's Automation and Control Solutions group, who spoke at an Oct. 21 evening media event at ISA Expo 2003.

By Control Engineering Staff

10/28/2003

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Houston, TX— Calmer, more predictable times are ahead for Honeywell , according to Jack D. Bolick, president of the Industry Solutions business of Honeywell's Automation and Control Solutions group, who spoke Oct. 21 during an evening media event at ISA Expo 2003.

For starters, Bolick brings an unusually varied technology background to this Honeywell leadership position. An industrial engineer by trade, including service at Burlington Industries, eight years of semiconductor product experience at Analog Devices, and other industry stints, makes him someone who has “been there and done things.” Bolick joined Honeywell in 1998, and has just completed a year at the helm of the Industry Solutions entity.

“Turmoil at Honeywell is over; the company is not for sale,” he said. This image is in contrast to the recent turbulent times for Honeywell, which were compounded by technology deflation and hard economic pressures. Bolick’s down-to-earth comments mentioned legacy problems that are now past, for example, that “Honeywell did not spend R&D dollars effectively.”

A key issue for many companies is “how to take data from the field, and transform that data into good, usable information,” explains Bolick. “There remains a need to get the proper data up to where businesses can use and apply it.” Honeywell now has the product to carry data to such usefulness, he says, referring to the company’s Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS), which is a business, process, and asset management system.

Looking ahead, Bolick sees a need for companies to “build a domain-knowledge organization” to offset a looming “talent shortage” ahead in engineering and technology. The Internet provides a route to build such domain expertise. “Honeywell has the technology to accomplish this, while raising its R&D efforts in that direction,” he continues. Experion PKS provides the foundation to “take that technology and execute it under one umbrella.”

Through Experion, “Honeywell is now in a renewed growth pattern,” he concluded.